POW! WOW! is a global art movement that is currently bringing together local and international artists in Washington, DC. My friend, Farrah, led a Walk With Locals tour of some of the mural sites on Friday. I brought along a Fuji Instax camera and had just enough film for a shot (or two) of each of the sites we saw. While I love taking and seeing photos of these murals, I have to say... the pictures don't quite do it justice. If you have a chance, you definitely want to see these for yourself in person.

Banksy fascinates me. Not just Banksy himself, but
everything about and around him. His art is one thing and then the
reactions—from worship and fawning over his every little move to scrawling over
his work in defiance and maybe even anger—are another. His anonymity is incredibly
impressive. His art is thought-provoking and discussion-inspiring.

Hearing about Better Out Than In, his month-long project on
the streets of New York City, I wanted to see it for myself. This proved rather
difficult given how quickly each day’s work would be defaced or sometimes even
removed entirely. You see, again, the extreme effect Banksy has on people…fascinating!

As we hunted around the city, I couldn’t help but wonder if
I was part of some elaborate hoax and if Banksy was even really behind it all.
In this day and age of impersonators (we’ve all seen Catfish on MTV, amirite?!)
and imitators, I think it’s natural to become a bit skeptical. How can you ever
be truly certain?

And then…what does it really matter?

We started out zero for three in the hunt. One apparently
was hidden by a man trying to charge people to see it, while the other two were
entirely removed…one involving a CAR. Yup, it’s that serious. I was thrilled
when we found one mostly in tact—as a result of protective glass and video surveillance
going up. I wondered what Banksy thought of all the reactions—both to destroy and
to preserve. And my mind filled with thoughts and questions. THAT is what I
like most about the entire thing. It’s not just something to see and
photograph. It’s something to think about and discuss.

I could go on and on, but I shall spare you and just share a
few pictures I did take. And if you find it as interesting as I do, then let’s
discuss! :)